West Cook News

League of American Workers founder Steve Cortes criticized the village of Oak Park after the announcement that the village would be moving 100 illegal immigrants from the area to a single location and give them housing, social services, and job training, 

“How many American citizens get free housing, food, classes, and job training???” Cortes said in a post on X. “I’ll hang up and listen for your answer…”

The Oak Park Village Board approved the submission of a grant application to the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, which resulted in an acceptance of $1,944,000 in funding to support the resettlement of undocumented immigrants in Oak Park. This decision was made after the board declared an emergency disaster resolution on Jan. 23, which facilitated streamlined procedures for urgent actions to assist undocumented immigrants, West Cook News previously reported. 

Concerns have grown due to reports that over 34,000 undocumented immigrants have arrived in Illinois since mid-2022. This urgency has amplified calls for stronger border control measures. Last fall, Illinois allocated $42.5 million in grant funds to municipalities for housing and supporting undocumented immigrants. Lake County, Elgin, Oak Park, Urbana, and Chicago were among the recipients. In total, the state has earmarked $500 million for the care of undocumented immigrants according to Capitol News Illinois.

Cortes is a political advisor and commentator. He previously traded global currencies and interest rates for 25 years for large international hedge funds. He has been an on-air broadcaster for CNBC, Fox News, and CNN. Cortes founded LAW in 2022 to conduct research and develops proposals on public policies impacting American workers and the economy.

Cortes is a native of the Chicago area. He attended Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights.